Meet the Seahawks

January 24, 2014 8:31 PM

Photo: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

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Meet the Seahawks

Regardless of what happens Feb. 2, the 2013-14 Seattle Seahawks have already accomplished a lot. They tied a franchise record with 13 regular season wins en route to their sixth NFC West division title in the last 10 years. They boast a roster stocked with talent, including three All-Pros and six Pro-Bowlers. And they defeated the New Orleans Saints and rival San Francisco 49ers in order to advance to the franchise’s second Super Bowl in franchise history.

But perhaps some of you haven’t been paying as close attention as you should. We get it, not everyone loves football -- though judging by the amount of Seahawks paraphernalia currently draping Seattle’s cityscape, those of you who haven’t caught Super Bowl fever are a quickly shrinking minority. So for those who need a refresher in time for the big game, we are here to help.

Click through the gallery of Seahawks stars to meet some of the luminaries from this year’s team.

The second year quarterback won the starting job last offseason and hasn’t looked back since. Wilson has more touchdown passes and wins than any other NFL quarterback through his first two seasons, and he’s just as much a threat running the ball as he is passing.

You can often find him at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where he and his wife Ashton spend every Tuesday visiting patients. A win in Super Bowl XLVIII would basically raise Wilson to sainthood status in the Emerald City.

Quarterback Russell Wilson
The second year quarterback won the... Photo-5774749.78456 - seattlepi.com

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Cornerback Richard Sherman

You may have heard of him. The ringleader of Seattle’s defensive backfield – the self-proclaimed “Legion of Boom” – is brash and cocky, but he can back it up. He led the league in interceptions this season after matching last season’s total of 8 despite opposing quarterbacks avoiding throwing the ball in his direction.

His self-promoting style may rub some the wrong way, especially in light of Sunday’s sideline rant to Fox Sports' Erin Andrews, but the Stanford graduate knows exactly what he’s doing, and he’s doing it very well.

Running back Marshawn Lynch
There are really three things you... Photo-5774752.78456 - seattlepi.com

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Safety Earl Thomas

Like Sherman, Thomas was voted a first-team All-Pro. But unlike his Legion of Boom compatriot, the quiet Thomas makes the most noise with the way he plays the game. A quintessential ball hawk, Thomas is nearly always in the right place to make the right play.

Taken in the first round in Pete Carroll’s first year as head coach, Thomas’s development into an elite player has mirrored the Hawks progression into an elite team.

Chancellor is the third Legionnaire of Boom to make our list, and certainly the most underrated. He was taken in the same draft as Thomas, but four rounds later. He entrenched himself as a starter as soon as he arrived in Seattle.

He’s the enforcer of the group, known for bone-jarring hits that often separate opposing receivers from the ball, but he’s also capable of making the big play in coverage, like he did last week when picking off the 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick.

Acquiring Harvin was the team’s major offseason move last March, when they traded their 2013 first-round pick in exchange for the diminutive dynamo, who had proven himself a spectacular – if often dinged-up – receiver and kick returner in four seasons in Minnesota.

Things haven’t quite worked out as the Seattle braintrust might have hoped. Harvin missed all but one regular season game due to a nagging hip injury, and was knocked out of the divisional round game against the Saints with a concussion. He’s healthy now, and could make a huge difference for the Hawks offense.

Bennett, on the other hand, was a relatively minor offseason investment who’s paid huge dividends. After coming back to Seattle – he’d signed here as an undrafted free agent in 2009 before being cut – Bennett has simply been unblockable, racking up 8.5 sacks while routinely appearing in opposing backfields.

His biggest play of the season came on Dec. 2, when he plucked a Drew Brees fumble out of midair and returned it 22-yards for a touchdown, giving him an opportunity to unveil his trademark sexy celebration dance.

Defensive end Michael Bennett
Bennett, on the other hand, was... Photo-5774756.78456 - seattlepi.com

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Linebacker Bobby Wagner

Wagner plays smack dab in the middle of the Seahawks defense, and you often find him smack dab in the middle of some of their best plays. That’s not a coincidence.

The second-year player out of Utah State has been simply spectacular since joining the team last season, and the scary thing is he seems to be getting better and better with time. He’s the defensive signal-caller, so he’ll have his hands full with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos offense.

This is the guy you bring up if you really want some football cred. Mebane is one of the longest-tenured Seahawks, having been with the team since he was drafted out of Cal in 2007. His stats don’t jump out, but that’s because of the role he plays in Pete Carroll’s defense.

Mebane’s job is to attack the offensive line. Sometimes that means he blows by them and takes down the ball-carrier, but more often times it means he simply messes up offensive play designs, causing disruption that his defensive teammates take advantage of.

If the Super Bowl is close heading down the stretch, there’s a good chance it will eventually come down to the foot of one of the teams’ placekickers. In the Seahawks’ case, that’s a good thing, because Hauschka has been clutch all season long.

Hauschka joined the Seahawks in 2011 after being let go from five NFL rosters, and things have worked out just fine for Seattle. The former college teammate of Russell Wilson’s at North Carolina State has gone 82-of-92 (89 percent) in his Hawks career.

The ringleader of the operation honed his fun-focused, laid back style in unsuccessful coaching stops with the New York Jets and New England Patriots before winning two national championships at USC. Many doubted his rah-rah style would work in the NFL, but he's proved his critics wrong so far, going 38-26 in the Emerald City.

Carroll is the ultimate players' coach, but his focus on competition within the organization means he's not likely to be overly sentimental.

Head coach Pete Carroll
The ringleader of the operation honed... Photo-5774760.78456 - seattlepi.com

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The 12th Man

They might not be the original 12th Man (that distinction belongs to Texas A&M), but they're certainly the loudest. The fanbase earned its nickname through years of steadfastly standing by a moribund franchise, and now they're collecting on their investment.

The Hawks fans set two Guinness Book records for noise this season, and by making it through this slideshow, you can now count yourself among them. Start yelling!